Open call: Mobility grant for artists and cultural professionals

Programme overview

• Total programme budget: €8 million
• Duration: 42 months (2025 to 2028)
• Focus: Dialogue, cooperation and peer learning between African and European cultural practitioners
• Emphasis on co-creation, professional exchange and equal-footing partnerships

Target groups

Artists and cultural professionals from Sub-Saharan Africa and the European Union, with particular attention to:

• Emerging practitioners
• Women
• Persons with disabilities

Mobility grant scheme

Purpose and scope

• Supports short-term professional mobility, primarily within Sub-Saharan Africa 
• Secondary focus on mobility between Sub-Saharan Africa and Europe
• European applicants must have an established partnership with an African partner
• African applicants travelling to Europe must have an established European partner

Objectives

• Strengthen peer learning and professional networks
• Enable research, co-creation and collaborative artistic projects
• Support access to new markets, audiences and professional contexts
• Build long-term intra-continental and inter-continental cultural partnerships

Grant information

• Maximum grant per mobility: €4 000 ($4 700)
• Approximate number of grants available: 60
• Coverage: Physical mobility only

Geographic focus:

• Primary: Sub-Saharan Africa to Sub-Saharan Africa (Africa to Africa)
• Secondary: Sub-Saharan Africa to Europe

Key dates

Call opens: January 2026

• Application deadline: 15 March 2026 (23:59 CAT)
• Evaluation and notification: 16 March to 8 May 2026
• Contracting and onboarding: 11 May to 5 June 2026
• Eligible mobility start date: From 1 June 2026
• Mobility period covered: June 2026 to June 2027

Eligibility criteria

Eligible applicants

• Aged 18 years or older
• Individual artists or cultural professionals
• Disciplines include:
  • Music
  • Visual arts
  • Performing arts
  • Literature
  • Film and media arts
  • Cultural heritage
  • Design, architecture and fashion design

• Currently based in Sub-Saharan Africa or the European Union
• Able to demonstrate an existing partnership in the destination country
• Able to show a clear professional purpose aligned with programme objectives

Non-eligible applicants

• Applicants under 18
• Staff or immediate family members of the Goethe-Institut, Expertise France, Institut français or the European Commission
• Entities under EU restrictive measures
• Applicants previously excluded from EU-funded projects

Application type

• Individual applications only
• Applications from multiple individuals linked to the same activity are assessed independently
• Ensemble or group mobility is not supported under this scheme

Eligible activities

• Artistic and Professional Development
• Research into cultural heritage, ecosystems and artistic practices
• Co-creation or co-development with international partners
• Participation in residencies, mentorships or structured learning programmes
• Development of international professional relationships

Cultural exchange and networking

• Participation in exhibitions, residencies or cultural events
• Attendance or performance at conferences and festivals
• Professional skills development and training

Budget framework

Eligible Costs

• Travel (airfare, rail or other transport)
• Visa and insurance costs (actual costs)
• Accommodation and subsistence via pre-calculated lump sums

Flat-rate travel allocations

• Intra-continental travel (Sub-Saharan Africa): €1 500
• Intercontinental travel (Africa–Europe): €1 000

Additional Support (on request)

• Family support (e.g. childcare costs)
• Disability and accessibility support
• Environmentally sustainable travel (green mobility)

Budget conditions

• All funding sources must be declared
• Budgets exceeding €4 000 (excluding approved additional support) will be excluded
• Additional funding must be declared to remain within the grant limit

Application process

How to apply

• Applications must be submitted via the Goethe Application Portal (GAP)
• Language: English (supporting documents must include English translations)

Required documents

• Portfolio or work samples
• CV or professional biography
• Confirmation of mobility activity (e.g. invitation letter or registration)

Project timeline

• Valid passport copy
• Completed budget template

Optional documents

• Letters of support
• Additional portfolio links
• Documentation of previous collaborations

Support and enquiries

General enquiries should be sent via email at eup-ssa@goethe.de.

View the original call here.

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